Dance it Out! The B-52s are Alive and Well and Having a Party with the Symphony at the OC Fair!

Pacific Symphony has another unique way to have an exciting musical experience this summer when the orchestra delivers a blast from the past and rocks out with what is known as “The World’s Greatest Party Band!” There can be no doubt as to why the B-52s remain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands. From groundbreaking songs like “Rock Lobster,” “Dance This Mess Around” and “Private Idaho,” to chart-topping hits like “Love Shack” and “Roam” and “Deadbeat Club,” to their thrilling reemergence on the pop scene with their 2008 CD “Funplex,” the B-52s’ unforgettable dance-rock tunes start a party every time their music begins. The B-52s will be joined by the Symphony for an even richer, more awesome concert experience, presented by the OC Fair & Event Center.

The concert, “The B-52s with Pacific Symphony,” takes place Thursday, July 20, at 8:15 p.m., in the Pacific Amphitheatre at the OC Fair & Event Center. Symphony patrons should note: because this concert takes place during the OC Fair, they may want to allow more time for parking. Single tickets for the concert range from $42.50-$65. For more information or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.

“I can think of no other band that is synonymous with the words ‘party’ and ‘good times’ than the B-52s. Their infectious music layered with dance grooves galore, that frankly just makes your body move, has been in high gear for the past 35 years.”—Yahoo! Voices

Nearly 40 years and more than 20 million albums into their career, any question about the band’s longevity and ongoing appeal are immediately answered after attendance at a B-52s concert. From their groundbreaking songs to unforgettable dance-rock tunes always make an audience want to dance in their seats! But the B-52s, in many ways defy definition—they’re a little bit of a whole lot!

“To put it (very) lightly, the B-52's have never felt at home completely in the here-and-now, preferring to mix together modern and outmoded styles in a parallel universe of garish fashion. The band’s stone-cold classic 1979 debut still sounds like nothing else before or after: A surf-rock soundtrack to an early 60s spy film about a gay underground dance culture from the future. The band’s self-consciously retro appeal was never a gimmick, and still isn’t: It’s rooted at the foundation of the genre they created and own, to the extent that it’s their brand.”—Pitchfork

Formed in Athens, Georgia, the band played their first gig at a friend’s house on Valentine’s Day 1977. Naming themselves after Southern slang for exaggerated “bouffant” hairdos, the newly-christened B-52s (Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson and Ricky Wilson) began weekend road trips to New York for gigs at a handful of venues. Before long, their thrift-store aesthetic and genre-defying songs were the talk of the post-punk underground.

“We always appealed to people outside the mainstream,” says band-member Pierson, “and I think more people feel they’re outside the mainstream these days. Smart, punchy punk music you could dance to, with a bizarre and warped sense of humor thrown in for good measure.”

The arrival of the B-52s would have fared well even if their music and songs weren’t simply as catchy and memorable as they are. They began to attract fans far beyond the clubs of the Lower East Side—galvanizing the pop world with their stream-of-consciousness approach to songwriting and outrageous performance. They had clearly tapped into a growing audience for new music that was much larger than anyone could have anticipated. The hits kept coming!

And now, as they continue to take their party-music revolution into the 21st century, the B-52s, who show no signs of slowing down, are still serving up their own unique blend of music and showmanship to millions of fans around the world—including in Orange County where they plan to party with Pacific Symphony at the OC Fair!